"No" Pre-K Votes and Akbari Take Early Voting

By Bill Dries

Opponents of a half percent hike in the city sales tax and Democratic Tennessee House candidate Raumesh Akbari took the early vote in the last election of 2013 in Shelby County.

Early voting results released by the Shelby County Election Commission Tuesday, Nov. 21, after the election day polling sites closed at 7 p.m. show Akbari beat Libertarian rival Jim Tomasik in the early balloting for the District 91 seat.

In the citywide referendum on the sales tax hike, the early vote totals are:

No 4,245

Yes 3,358

In the special general election for state House District 91, the early vote totals are:

Akbari 884

Tomasik 99

Watch this website for an update once all of the unofficial election day returns combined with the early voting totals are tabulated.

The two special election items are the last of 11 elections in Shelby County in the last three months.

All results are unofficial until certification by the Shelby County Election Commission.

The winner in the state House District 91 race will then be sworn in and take the seat held for 41 years by the late Lois DeBerry when the Tennessee legislature returns to session in January.

The winner serves the remaining year left in her two-year term of office and is expected to seek re-election in the 2014 elections.

Candidates can begin pulling qualifying petitions in the May 6 Shelby County primaries and the August 7 county general elections starting Friday, Nov. 22.